Reply #26: I don't speak for the "left," [View All]

[LWolf]

though I'm undoubtedly further "left" than most of the U.S. on most issues. I can only speak for myself:

I value personal responsibility and social responsibility equally. I think a healthy society works to balance the two.

I agree with you about the divide. I've spent my entire adult life thinking about it. Perhaps I was uniquely prepared to do just that. I spring from the poor working class; poor, but hard-working people to whom the term "charity" was foul language. I think that our pathetic excuse for a "safety net" ought to be strong and vibrant enough to catch people and stay with them long enough to see them all the way out of generational poverty.

While I really want people to have a strong work ethic, and to take personal responsibility for their own success, or lack of it, I also know that it won't happen until every last neighborhood is safe, every last person has adequate shelter, nutrition, clothing, health care, transportation, education, and employment opportunities that offer a living wage. We aren't even talking about perhaps planning someday to achieve that. I think this is the place to start.